Charting the hero’s journey: a co-designed board game for performing artists’ self-reflection

Performing artists face unique emotional and mental pressures due to their profession, requiring tailored approaches to mitigate these challenges. This study aimed to co-design a self-reflection board game using the Hero’s Journey framework, specifically tailored to performing artists, to promote resilience, self-awareness, and well-being. A three-phase participatory approach was employed: Phase I included interviews with performing artists (n = 7) and mental health professionals (n = 9); Phase II focused on co-designing with mental health professionals (n = 6) to create the initial prototype; and Phase III consisted of usability testing with performing artists (n = 6) for iterative refinement. The results informed the content and features of the ‘Performer’s Journey’ board game. Findings demonstrated its potential as an effective tool for self-reflection, emotional processing, and personal growth. Future research will focus on broader testing to validate the game’s long-term impact.